First Mate
by Chrisii
Summary: This is based on when Shanks first met Benn and Lucky Roo.
1. Benn Beckman

Shanks first met Benn with a coincidence, and he didn`t want anything to do with him, but the dark haired man decided to take care of the little brat that he found battling with the currents, and well, they soon became friends.

Shanks was still reeling over the fact that his captain, the Pirate king, the man he looked at as his idol, had given himself up to the Marines. He was 16 years old, alone, on a rowing boat, in the middle of the ocean, with no food, no water and no log pose. He only had a sleeping bag and a change of clothes in his little bag. Why did he pack so little you ask? Well, the marines weren`t happy with just getting their captain, they wanted all of the Roger Pirates, and so they were forced to fled. Rayleigh had given him the boat and send him away despite Shanks protests, and here he was now, very hungry if you may ask.

He had spotted land a few minutes ago, and was now sailing towards it, hoping to get some rest and probably start gathering his own pirate crew. Just then, a gust of wind blew from behind him, and his straw hat blew off his head and glided over the water. No, he couldn`t lose that hat! It was the only remainder of his captain! Without thinking of dropping the anchor, he jumped head first in the water and started swimming after it. Thankfully, he was a great swimmer after being thrown numerous times of off the ship. After managing to catch it and put it back on his fiery red hair, which was drenched, he went to swim back to his boat. However, the current had turned and the boat was now gliding away from him. He would never manage to catch up with it, he knew that, but what other choice did he have? He would tire out and drown way before reaching land. He struggled a little as the currents picked up, and to his horror, he realized that a storm was brewing and starting very soon.

The boat was out of sight now. Shanks found himself paddling fast and a bit floppy in order to get inland, however the currents were against him and he had to double his efforts, which was tiring him even more. He was on the brink of giving up when a fishing boat sailed next to him and someone bend over and picked him up from the water before gently laying him down on the deck. The earth was tipping now, and Shanks found himself succumbing to the darkness and falling unconscious in the hands of someone he had no idea of, the worst thing he could ever done in his books. When he woke up again, he was in a house, on a comfortable mattress, and a warm cloth was on his forehead. He cracked open his eyes, and saw a man in his late twenties, dozing on a chair next to where he was laying. Years of training kicked in and he went to stealthily sneak from the room. However, he had not made it a few steps before his muscles started to burn and he hissed in pain before crumbling to the floor, panting.

"You should really rest up kid, you over worked your muscles, going to be sore for a couple of days,"

The dark haired man had woken up, and was crouching next to the angry red-head. Shanks could see him more clearly now. Dark eyes matched the pulled back hair, and muscles were quiet apparent under his black t-shirt. A cigar was hanging from his lips, and he was frowning at him, however Shanks saw the concern in the dark eyes.

"Who are you?" Shanks forced through gritted teeth as his muscles felt as if they were on fire.  
"I`m Benn Beckman, I`m a fisherman. Don`t worry, I`m not going to turn you in to the marines," He said, causing Shanks to momentarily gape.  
"Why would I believe you?" Shanks asked, frowning again.  
"You should smile more kid, you`ll get frown lines. And if I wanted to turn you in to the marines, wouldn`t I have done it while you were unconscious? Why would I wait for you to wake up?" Benn said, raising an eyebrow at the kid in front of him.  
"Stop calling me kid! I`m 16 years old!" Shanks yelled before Benn picked him up and deposited him on the bed, where he put the covers on top of the still angry Shanks.  
"Just go to sleep, kid," Benn muttered, going out of the room.

Shanks waited to hear the lock clicking, but to his surprised, he heard no such thing, and feeling safe for the first time in what felt like forever, he closed his eyes and went back to sleep again, welcoming the pain-less black abyss.

_He was running from marines, a thousand of them, all chasing him. His lungs burned as he struggled to breathe while running away. His sabre had been lost when he escaped with the aid of Rayleigh, so he was defenceless if he didn`t steal anything anytime soon. Without thinking, he ran into a sword-shop, grabbed a sabre from one of the many displays, and then ran out of the back door, of course not without leaving a bag of money on the counter of the shell shocked shop owner. Somewhere he had taken a wrong turn, he knew it. He had found himself on a very high cliff. He`d either be killed by the marines or he`d fall to his death. But he was Shanks. He would not go down without a fight. So, unsheathing the sword, he took a fighting position and started fighting with whoever came at him. However, he was not good enough to take on the thousands of marines by himself. He felt the sword enter and exit his gut brutally..._

And he awoke in cold sweat. Benn was cradling him, while telling him to calm down as he stroked Shanks' hair. He shook against the man`s muscular body, but Benn didn`t say anything, only continued to sooth him until Shanks was more relaxed and at ease knowing that there weren`t any holes in his gut. When he was somewhat relaxed, Benn let go of him and produced a glass of water seemingly out of nowhere. Shanks took it and sipped it quietly, before falling asleep again. His rest however, was pitiful, and he kept waking up at random times during the night. Benn was always there with a glass of water and a few soothing words, and Shanks found himself liking the father-like figure that Benn was displaying.

The second night went the same, the third was a little merciful, and in the fourth Shanks slept a whole night without any nightmares. Benn had taken care of him, and true to his word, didn`t give him out to the marines, but Shanks couldn`t stand it anymore. He couldn`t practise. He didn`t have a sword, he only stole one in a dream. And the sea was calling him. He would not sail without a crew, but he couldn`t stand being confined in a room all day and night. So, in the fifth night, he feigned sleep and then sneaked out of the window and to the beach, where the storm, that only lasted a day, had made fresh sand dunes and carried up two boats to the shore, which were broken beyond repair. Finding a sand dune, he laid back and stared at the open sea, where he would have countless adventures. He didn`t have a doubt about that. He didn`t know how much time had passed, but Shanks had fallen asleep on the shore. Instinct woke him up at dawn, and he was shocked to find himself on the beach, a dark haired man looking down at him. He recognised him as Benn, and felt his cheeks darken at the prospect that he had been caught. Benn grinned as he saw Shanks blush, something which he thought was impossible for the red-head to do.

"I can`t keep living with you Benn. I need to find a crew. And a sword. And sail the seas," Shanks said.  
"You know how to use a sword?" Benn asked, raising an eyebrow.  
"Yeah, I know how to fight with a sword, got a problem with that?" Shanks asked.  
"Actually, it would be a problem if you didn`t. Would have paid a lot of money for nothing," Benn said.  
"What do you mean?" Shanks asked.  
"Well, you said something about a sabre when you woke up after a nightmare the first night, so I did a little research, and found out that red-haired Shanks used to fight with a sabre. Here, I got this from the store. One of the best in stock," Benn said, handing Shanks the still sheathed sword.  
"Thanks!" Shanks eyes lit up as he took the sabre in his arms and tied it around his hip. It was the same sabre he had stolen in his dream. "I got to go. See ya later!" He yelled cheerfully before taking off, leaving a smiling Benn behind him.

It was a week later when they met again. Shanks had been laying low, trying to find a few people to gather to his crew, but none of the people met his standards. He was casually walking in the street when he saw Benn walking back to his house. Shanks was about to go talk to him when about five marines jumped on the fisherman and kept him pinned to the floor. Shanks bristled at the sight, but kept low to see why they were jumping him.

"Where is he?" One of them asked.  
"Who?" Benn asked.  
"Red-haired Shanks," The other said, positioning a sword to his throat.  
"I don`t know."

Benn kept a level head, but Shanks was angry. He couldn`t believe that the Marines would threaten the life of a civilian to find out where he was! He grabbed the dagger that was around his leg and accurately threw it at the Marine that was facing him, killing him on the spot. The other marines turned to face him, and smirked upon seeing the boy that they were seeking in front of them. However, they had underestimated him, as they were dead in a few minutes.

Benn watched the boy fight with surprise. He looked tired, as if he hadn`t slept all night but he was still energized enough to fight. Apparently, everybody underestimated him, and Shanks used that to his advantage as he killed them all on the spot, a cold look in his eyes. However, the cold look quickly turned to concern as they swept over him, checking Benn for injuries. They relaxed upon seeing him unharmed, but he looked as if a request was on the tip of his mouth and he was battling with himself whether to say it or not. He finally decided, and sheathing his sabre, he looked Benn in the eye and spoke.

"I want you as my first mate. Would you accept on one condition?"  
"What`s the condition?" Benn asked.  
"I get to be the captain," Shanks said with a grin.  
"Deal. Captain." Benn said with a smile of his own, before extending his hand, which Shanks shook.

The red-head moved back with him until they left.

The first thing they did was search for a boat. They searched several shops, well, Benn did most of the searching as Shanks had to lay low because of The Marines. They found one after a few days, and after Shanks decided that he liked it, Benn bought it with the money that he had collected for future purposes. Never in his life would he think that the future purpose was of being a pirate. Benn left the next part to Shanks. They needed food, a log pose, and other supplies before they left. For a kid, Shanks was extremely sneaky, and before Benn could object, he had run from the house and went to steal everything. He had everything stacked in boxes by the beach by the evening. Benn couldn`t say he was surprised, a week with Shanks and he got to know all of his methods. They sailed away a week later. Countless marines had attacked them, but it didn`t take long for the duo to fight them off before boarding the ship and leaving the island once and for all.

As the outline of the island faded to nothing, Shanks stared at nothing as he mused on how he came to want the older man as his first mate. He had been laying in his sleeping bag, staring up at the starry skies, unable to sleep. Nightmares still haunted him from the war and seeing his own captain beheaded. He choked on tears in the clear night, glad that nobody was close to hear him. He needed someone mature enough to counter his childish character, but he needed him to be patient and not one to bitch and groan about everything. In other words, he needed someone he could look at as a best friend, someone who he could trust with his life, and someone to basically counter Shanks own character. It occurred to him then that Benn was all of that. He was mature, and didn`t yell at him or do anything when Shanks wanted to escape. He was certainly patient, and didn`t have a problem with sea, seeing he was a fisherman. It took him a whole night debate, but he decided to ask Benn the next morning, see if he would accept and then be gone. He was overjoyed when Benn accepted, so he had moved back with him when the black-haired man offered until they were ready to depart.

Benn came to know how responsible Red-Haired Shanks was, even though he was still as childish as ever. However, he never regretted his decision, not even when Shanks woke him up in the middle of the night just because he was bored with the watch. Needless to say Benn wanted to throw him in the middle of the ocean. However, he had done the watch with the sixteen year-old, and didn`t disdain it as much as he thought he would.

Now, as the orange light spread all over the horizon, Benn laid back relaxed, knowing it was going to be a normal day on the this boat. As least as normal as it would be when Shanks would wake up.

* * *

Hi gys :) Hope you liked that =p  
Last story until I go back to school so don`t expect any more for now :3  
Anyway, depending on the reaction, I think I`ll do when the others joined as well :P But that depends on Favourites and reviews! Bye!

-Chrisii


	2. Lucky Roo

It had been almost a month, and despite searching several island where they stopped to restock, or in case of Shanks steal supplies from under people noses without them noticing, and they haven`t gotten any new nakama. Shanks had celebrated his birthday and was now 17 years old. He had become more mature when it came to serious situations, even though he always had the usual smirk on his lips, which led to his enemies thinking he was ignoring them or make them look like fools in front of everyone. Benn had ended up saving his sorry ass when Shanks got knocked out and captured. Their friendship had taken a nice twist to it after that. Shanks trusted him even more, and Benn discovered another part of Shanks' character as the kid (he would always be a kid in his eyes) broke down that night and had spend a good half an hour crying on Benn. The black-haired lad had comforted him until Shanks fell asleep on him, drained of all energy. Benn had carried him to bed and laid him there as he went to the watch. Shanks had stayed asleep until Benn went to wake him up at noon to give him some breakfast. Shanks was freaked out that he slept that late, but then calmed down when Benn told him that nothing had happened and that everything was fine.

Now, as they sailed in the West Blue, Benn would often catch Shanks staring into distance with a small frown, a sure signal that the red-haired pirate was thinking. They were nearing another island, and no doubt Shanks was thinking of a plan to steal food and supplies. When they finally arrived at the island, night had fallen, and both of them were tired. They slept on the boat that night, and when they awoke, at the crack of dawn, they set off to investigate the island a little more. Shanks found a leaflet pinned up to a tree, and grinned as he saw it was to a party that was happening in the square that night. Benn groaned.

"We`re not going to the party Shanks," Benn said.  
"Yes we are! Captain`s orders! Let`s have fun!" Shanks yelled happily before running away to the shops.

Several hours later crates were piled in the sand, all full of stolen supplies. Shanks stood grinning next to them for a while, then helped Benn load them to the boat. He had taken what was needed, expect for food. He would take care of that when everybody was at the party. He had discovered that almost all of the people always went to the parties.

It was evening now, and Shanks and Benn dressed casually before heading to the square, which was already filling up with people. As the night progressed more, the square was getting more and more packed, and with some difficulty Shanks found Benn and told him to meet him back at the ship. Benn had nodded and continued with whatever he was doing. Sneaking way was a more difficult task as the people pushed him around until he could barely stand up with the mass of bodies pressing into him.

When finally he managed to get out, Shanks collapsed on the floor until he felt remotely normal again. It wasn`t long before he was sprinting in the shadows, searching for the grocery shop he had seen when he was stealing earlier that day. Upon finding it, he put his straw-hat over his eyes and after picking the lock, he went in. It was going well until the bells chimed again, signalling that someone was entering. Shanks cursed and hid behind a column, watching as the fat stranger opened the freezer that had a bunch of meat racks in it and started hoarding it. Apparently he was a thief as well. A stupid one at that, he didn`t even see Shanks' bag next to the cabinet. At least, that was what Shanks thought, until a flintlock hit him on the back of the head, effectively dazing him. While he was trying to get his vision back to normal, Shanks was unable to defend himself and soon enough the other thief had him against a wall, holding his head back by His fiery red hair. Shanks winced as his head throbbed more with the harsh treatment that was being applied to his hair, but said nothing.

"What are you doing kid?" The man asked.  
"I`m not a kid! I was just looking around." Shanks said, feeling stupid for not bringing Benn with him.  
"Not a kid? How old are you? 16? Yeah, cause people come looking around in the middle of the night," The fat dude said.  
"17. So what are you doing?" Shanks asked, raising his eyebrow.  
"I`m taking a rack of meat." the man stated bluntly.  
"Yeah right." Shanks said, using his haki to briefly daze the man before running out.

His bag long since forgotten, he ran until his lungs burned, and even then, he continued running back towards the square, where he was glad to immediately spot Benn. He was leaning on a wall to the side, and Shanks made his way to him, panting and gasping as he leaned heavily on the wall. Benn looked at him with concern, but a nod from Shanks had him reassured that he was okay. That was until he looked past the red-head to see a fat guy chasing them with a pissed expression. Shanks swore from next to him and took off in an alley and towards the docks. They were half way through when Shanks looked back and stopped running.

"I.. I think we lost him," he muttered, breathing heavily.  
"Yeah, come on, let`s go back to the boat," Benn said, taking the lead.

They made it the docks slowly, as the adrenaline was wearing off and Shanks was worn out along with Benn. They were on the deck, emptying a bottle of water when Shanks spoke again from his space on the floor.

"What are we going to do about the food? I left my bag there.." Shanks said.  
"We`ll buy some tomorrow," Benn said.  
"Don`t worry about that." someone muttered, dropping a bag of food on the deck.  
"YOU!" Shanks yelled, unsheathing his sword, which he had left on the boat.  
"Me." The fat man said, reloading his flintlock.  
"Who are you?" Benn asked, his rifle pointed at his head.  
"Me? I`m Lucky Roo. I love meat!" Lucky Roo said, grinning a huge toothy grin.

"Hm. Really now? So, tell me lucky Roo, what can you do?" Shanks asked, his sabre still pointed at his throat.  
"I can fire this. And steal and sneak. And cook!" Lucky Roo concluded.  
"Shanks.. You sure?" Benn asked, seeing the grin that was forming on Shanks' face.  
"Yep! Lucky Roo, would you like to join my crew?" Shanks asked, sheathing his sword and offering his hand.  
"You`re the captain?" Lucky Roo asked.  
"Yep." Shanks said, hanging his sabre by his hip.  
"Then Yes. Why not?" Lucky Roo said, as he took another bite from the meat rack that was in his hand.

The next morning they set sail and searched for new Nakama.

Why did Lucky Roo decide to help them you ask? Well, he knew what it was like to be caught for stealing, and frankly, the kid would not get away with it, seeing he was a pirate. Being caught by marines would be the end of red-haired Shanks, and Roo had a feeling that the boy would go far. So, he went back to the shop and grabbed both of their bags. Making his way to the docks, he spotted the duo on their boat, drinking water and resting. The boy`s face was flushed with adrenaline, and Roo thought that this was the best moment if he was going to approach. So, presenting himself as a person who wanted no trouble, he approached the small crew. He was happy when the kid, the captain if he may say now, asked him to join, especially when Roo said that he was a cook. Now, as they sailed the blue, open seas, he didn`t regret his decisions, not even one bit, even though Shanks demanded food at very random hours.

As time progressed, and days turned to weeks, Lucky Roo stood on the deck, talking and laughing with his two new best friends, and soon to be three.

* * *

Hii Guys!  
First of all, I wish to say that I am very happy with the response of you, and I feel so appreciated!  
So, I hope you like this. Sorry if it is late, or if it has mistakes or OCC..  
Feel free to say your view on the story in the reviews! They are greatly appreciated!  
Anyway, If I get a good response on this, I will do Yasopp next!

Ps : Good response doesn`t mean saying the story is great, it means getting reviews on how the chapter was, and again, feel free to point out mistakes. I will greatly appreciate it.

-Chrisii


	3. Yasopp

They had been sailing in the East Blue for a year now, searching for new nakama and another ship. Basically, even though they refuse, Shanks always managed to persuade who he wanted to join their crazy little crew. They had recruited two other swordsmen, twins exactly, Mike and Pike and a man with a monkey for a pet, who went with the name Adam. As the boat got a little crowded, the next island they arrived at, Shanks bought a ship that would serve them great. The ship was beautiful, even Benn had to admit that, and Shanks was quick to give it a name. Red Force.

It was a quiet morning and the crew was in the house of Shanks' grandpa. To explain a little, Shanks had remembered that his grandpa lived there so he had told Benn he was going to go meet him. The crew ended up going in order to keep their captain out of trouble until he was ready to leave the island. They were having breakfast when Shanks walked in with a newspaper in his hands and a large grin on his face.

"We need to set sail again, go to Syrup village next," He said.  
"Why Syrup Village?" Lucky Roo asked.  
"Cause, I have to speak to someone.." Shanks said with the same grin.  
"Shall we set sail tomorrow?" Benn asked, knowing that their captain wasn`t going to share anything more any time soon.  
"Yep. At dawn." Shanks said before going out.

The next morning they set sail. Shanks was excited and was jumping all over the place, obviously relieved at getting out of his grandpa`s house. In truth, Shanks didn`t know his grandpa very well, but he loved him like a father. He had stayed because he wanted to see what his grandpa had done in his past years, and he was amazed by the amount of knowledge that he found there. But he was starting to feel claustrophobic in the house, so he decided to set sail again, searching for new nakama and new adventures.

When they arrived, Shanks got off the boat and headed into the jungle, oblivious to the yells of warning his crew was giving him. His haki had informed him of a kid in the jungle, and his instincts told him to protect him. Breaking through trees, he broke into a beautiful clearing, where a roughly three-year old kid was sitting, drawing on a piece of cloth. Shanks gaped as he saw what the kid was painting. It was Shanks' flag. Crouching behind him, he observed the piece of art until the kid noticed him. He screamed, a scream that echoed through the jungle before scrambling back.

"Wow kid! It`s okay!" Shanks said, throwing his hands up.  
"Pirate!" The kid exclaimed with a grin.  
"Yeah, I`m Shanks. I`m not going -oomph!" Shanks was cut off as the three year old hugged his legs, causing Shanks to lose his balance and collapse to the floor with the kid on top of him.

Groaning, Shanks pushed himself in a sitting position and with some difficulty got up with the kid in his arms. Just at that second, Benn and Lucky Roo broke through the trees and into the clearing, instantly relaxing as they saw their captain playing with a three year old kid and laughing while doing funny faces. They stood watching for a few minutes before a yell broke out in the otherwise quiet jungle.

"Who's that?" Shanks asked as he saw the kid grin.  
"My Dad!" The kid said just as a man broke through the trees.  
"Usopp! How many times do I have to tell you to stop running away and paint that flag!" The blonde yelled before acknowledging the red-head.  
"That flag is mine Yasopp, just thought you would know." Shanks said, bouncing Usopp on his hip.  
"I know. How do you know my name?" Yasopp asked.  
"I saw you on the news paper. I want to make you my crew`s sniper."Shanks said, before putting the kid down.  
"I have a family Red-hair. Sorry." Yasopp said, picking up Usopp and leaving.

"You`re getting him to agree aren`t you?" Benn asked as he saw the devious look on Shanks' face.  
"Yep. But for now, let`s just go find an inn," Shanks said, as he turned towards the town.  
"You go tell the others, I`ll follow him," Benn said as he headed after his captain.

It was dinner time when the crew assembled together again. They were eating and drinking sake, but Benn noticed that Shanks was holding back from drinking, and just watching the party, something that was out of character for the happy captain. Then again, the next day was Shanks' birthday, and since they had been sailing for so long, he probably didn`t expect anything from anyone. So, after bidding good night to his crew, and mockingly telling them to be safe, the captain headed upstairs to his room.

A grinning Benn made sure that Shanks was in his room before assembling the crew around one table were they wouldn`t be seen nor overheard. He told them his plan, then headed out to speak to someone and buy a present for his captain, or steal one if the shops were closed. After getting what he needed, he went back to the inn and passed out for the night.

When Shanks woke up that day, he couldn`t help but grin stupidly at the ceiling for a few minutes. He was 19 today! The last birthday he had they were sailing and the crew couldn`t do much but a big dinner. He didn`t know if his crew would have bought him anything this year considering that they had been sailing for the last couple of weeks, but he was still happy that he had aged another year and was close to reach his twenties. With that happy thought, he threw off his covers and went to take a shower and dress in his usual clothes. He needed to buy new ones. He literally jumped down the stairs to the small bar that the inn had. Only a few men of the crew were awake, and Shanks suspected that they had had a late night. He shouted a good morning to them, but only got a grunted response, a sure signal that they were still half asleep. Despite the obvious reason, Shanks felt a bit disappointed, he wasn`t expecting any presents, but a happy birthday would have been enough. Changing his mind about breakfast, he headed out and ventured through the forest until he came to the cliffs that overlooked the bay where their ship was docked. Shanks sat down, laying back on the warm rocks as the sun washed over him. He soaked in the warmth of it in his skin and his mind wandered to pointless stuff that he never thought he would think about them

He was turning 19 today. Not a single person of the crew had seemed to remember. What hurt Shanks the most though, was the fact that among the very few crew members he had seen in the bar, Benn was one of them, and he seemed wide awake. Tears blurred his visions, but Shanks angrily blinked them away before his haki sensed a presence behind him.

"The black-haired man said it was your birthday today. Is it true?" Yasopp was seated next to him, staring at the horizon.  
"Yeah," Shanks answered with any emotion.  
"Happy Birthday then. Why did you want me on your crew?" Yasopp asked as he turned to stare at the frowning red-head.  
"You seemed cool enough. I liked you." Shanks bluntly stated. "Plus. We need a sniper," Shanks added as he saw Yasopp`s face of surprise.  
"Well. I would like to go with you, I love travelling by sea, but I have a wife, and a kid, I can`t just abandon them," Yasopp said.  
"You can. You just choose not to," Shanks said with a small smile.  
"How old are you? Cause you seem to be pretty mature for a nineteen year old teen," Yasopp said as he stood up and offered a hand for the red-head.  
"Thanks," Shanks said as he pulled himself up. "I`m nineteen. But you could say I`ve seen what other nineteen year olds has not seen." Shanks said with a small frown as he unconsciously took a hold of his straw-hat.  
"That`s tough luck kid," Yasopp said as he remembered the execution and several fleeing pirates.

Shanks just nodded and bid him a good day before leaving through the forest again. He stayed in the jungle for most of the day, and was surprised as once again Yasopp found him, this time in a clearing. He had a bag of food with him, and with a shock Shanks realized that it was way past afternoon, and despite skipping breakfast, he hadn`t felt hungry at all. As the blonde expected, Shanks wolfed down the food, before leaning back again, his lids drooping in the afternoon sun. However, a weight settled on his stomach and Shanks squinted down, surprised to find Usopp grinning at him with a large cloth folded in his thin hands. Unfortunately, Shanks was a sucker for little kids, and grinning, he sat up and sat the kid on his lap as he bounced him up and down. The kid laughed, which caused Shanks to laugh as well before Usopp suddenly threw the cloth in the red-heads face.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY." Usopp semi-yelled with a huge grin.  
"Thanks kiddo," Shanks said as he unfolded the cloth.

It was large, and quite recognisable even from far away. A skull was on it, with two sabres crossing behind it and three diagonal red lines going over the left eye. It was drawn with deadly accuracy, and Shanks was amazed at the talent of the three year old so much that he didn`t notice he had started crying. He only noticed when Usopp pouted.

"Don`t you like it?" he said.  
"Like it? I Love it! Thanks Usopp." Shanks said as he hugged the lithe kid.  
"Welcome!" Usopp said with a happy grin.

A grinning Benn stepped from the shadows of a large tree, and Shanks laughter immediately stopped as he stared at his first mate with nothing but a small curiosity at what he was doing there. Benn unconsciously shifted at the judge full glance that Shanks was giving him without knowing, and he felt the temperature drop several degrees. He knew Shanks must have felt abandoned, or forgotten by his own crew, but it had to happen in order to keep the red-head out of their way.

"What do you want?" Shanks asked, a small frown breaking his poker face.  
"To get you back to your inn. Me and the crew, well we owe you an apology don`t we?" Benn said.  
"Why do I have to go back to the inn?" Shanks asked.  
"Shanks would you act like a man and just come?" Benn asked with patience.  
"Okay."

They made it to the inn in silence. Yasopp and Usopp had went with them, and Usopp was happily on Shanks hip, every now and then pulling Shanks' hair, causing the red head to wince. The bar was very dark, and nothing but shadows were present. Confused, Shanks reached out to switch on the lights, and upon them flickering on he was deafened by shouts of :

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Shell-Shocked, Shanks let go of the kid, who would have tumbled down to the floor had Benn not been quick and caught him. Usopp giggled as Shanks stood rigid, his back as straight as a broom stick. He stared, unblinking, at the bar in front of him, which was filled with his crew and a long-nosed woman who must have been Yasopp`s wife and Usopp`s mother. All of them were grinning at the young captain, who was still taking in the food and drink that was spread out everywhere, and the table in the corner which was piled high with wrapped parcels. He finally blinked, and a red hue filled his cheeks as he remembered what he had thought about the crew earlier in the day. His eyes burned, and a single tear fell down as the crew slapped him on the back and Mike and Pike raised his lithe but muscular form on their shoulders. Adam`s monkey jumped from shoulder to shoulder until it landed on his own and happily curled around his neck, her tail flicking every now and then and grazing his cheek. It was an entertaining party, and as he ate a piece of chocolate cake and opened the presents, Shanks was more than happy. He had gotten a pair of trousers that reached till his knee, several white shirts, a waist sash, and a black cape that he immediately liked. He was drinking a glass of saké when Yasopp`s wife, who he figured out was named Banchina, came to talk to him.

"Take him with you. It pains him to stay here," she said.  
"No. He doesn`t want to. I won`t force him." Shanks said as he saw Yasopp party with his crew.  
"He wants to. He just doesn`t want to admit it because of us," Banchina said as she took a swing and called her husband. He came next to them immediately.  
"Do you need anything my love?" he asked, putting Usopp down on a bar stool next to them.  
"I want you to go with Shanks." Banchina said. Yasopp choked on his drink.  
"But I`m not leaving-" Yasopp started.  
"You`re not leaving us. You`re following your dreams. Ever since before we married you used to express your desire to go out at sea. Now you have the chance. Take it, you don`t know when another one will come," Banchina said gently.  
"But what about you and Usopp?" Yasopp asked, unconsciously ruffling his kid`s hair.  
"We`ll manage, don`t worry. And I know he`ll take after you," Banchina said with a small smile.  
"You sure?" Yasopp asked as if it was killing him.

Banchina nodded before pulling her husband in a hug, before Yasopp kissed her passionately as tears trailed down his cheek. Shanks watched the scene with a bit of awe as he saw the love that was easy to read between the married couple, and he felt guilty for unintentionally breaking them up and leave a father-less son. However, just as he was about to voice what he was thinking, Banchina turned towards him and silenced him with a look that delivered a clear message.

_He wants this._

So, wisely keeping his mouth shut, Shanks continued to enjoy the party and drink as much as he could, not even thinking about the massive head-ache he was going to have the next day. Yasopp continued with them and with his wife and kid as well, and the night fled and soon turned into dawn. Benn found Shanks half asleep, his head pillowed on his arms on the counter. With a grin, he removed the straw-hat and gently picked the kid up and to his room. Needless to say, when the red-head woke up he had a massive head-ache, which turned to a migraine as he rushed to the bathroom and threw up before leaning heavily on the wall. He didn`t know how long he sat next to the toilet before Benn came in the room and wetted a cloth, which he used to dab his captain`s face and then draping it behind the red-head`s neck. Shanks groaned as his head throbbed upon Benn hoisting him up on his shoulders, but he quickly fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow again.

When he woke up again, it was morning, and Benn was next to him, reading a book in the dim light of a lamp. The sun was rising outside, and Shanks suspected that it was dawn, two days after his birthday. Benn handed him a glass of water, which Shanks slowly sipped before he stood up, albeit a bit shakily. Shaking his head to clear the bleariness, he made it to the bathroom, where he washed his teeth and took a shower before he started feeling remotely like himself again. He went down to the inn with Benn, where he took a large breakfast after learning from Benn that he had slept the whole day after his birthday. Yasopp was with Lucky Roo, Mike and Pike, and he seemed to be enjoying himself despite the fact that his wife had indirectly told him to leave her and his son. He seemed to have made friends with the crew, and Shanks was glad of that as he didn`t want anyone who didn`t want to be there in the first place.

The next day they set sail. Banchina, Yasopp and Usopp had done a tearless goodbye, but Shanks saw the small tear that trailed down the wife`s cheek as Yasopp turned away and climbed on board of his ship. However, as the captain gave her a meaningful glance, she gave him the same glance she gave him on the night of his birthday, and Shanks let it drop, knowing that there was no changing her mind.

Now, as Syrup village looked nothing more but a dim light on the horizon, Shanks knew he had made a good choice as he saw Yasopp enjoy the salty air. The blonde looked completely at ease and relaxed in the open environment, and as he saw him interact with the crew, Shanks knew that Banchina had made a good choice, and so had he, with getting Yasopp out at sea, where he really belonged.

* * *

Hi Guys :) I Know this took a while. I`m sorry, I`m just super busy right now!  
I hope you liked this, as I won`t be doing anymore I think :/ At least, not for now.. I have exams and stuff coming up and I have not been feeling up to continuing this to be honest. It was only meant to be a one-shot...

Despite the rant, I would like to thank everybody who favourited, followed or reviewed, I appreciated them more than words can express. See you in another story!  
Love, Chrisii xx

Ps : I would like to especially thank _maybelady, scatteredPhilosopher and_ FinlandiaWolf94!  
I really appreciated your reviews and help guys, thanks!


End file.
